KXNG Crooked – Good Vs. Evil (RBC Records, 2016)
“Welcome to Planet X,” a dark world portrayed by Long Beach rapper and Slaughterhouse member, KXNG Crooked. Just a day before the American presidential elections, Crooked released his new concept album, Good Vs. Evil. The album begins with the song “Welcome to Planet X.” As soon as you hear the first spoken words (“I live in a world that is different than your world”), you will find yourself immediately engrossed in its flow. The song transports you to a reality where children swim in lead-infested pools, where poverty in the inner cities is palpable and citizens are continuously haunted by the cops. Sound familiar to the tragedies going on in the United States? Crooked’s descriptive imagery adds to the apocalyptic nature of this alternate reality. This album is an outcry to recent events unfolding in America. Feelings of anger and oppression are evident through the aggressive tone of his lyrics and the eerie tempos integrated throughout the album.
Trial song: “Welcome to Planet X”
9/10
